Born: September 11 1949
Deceased: April 23 2021
Biography Bill Whittington
Along with his elder brother Don, Bill Whittington was a regular in IMSA’s Camel GT Championship. They participated in the championship from the late 1970s into the mid-1980s. At the time, the running joke in the paddock was that IMSA stood for the International Marijuana Smugglers Association. And that is exactly what the Whittington Brothers did to fund their race career. A career that was brought to an end when Bill was sentenced to 15 years imprisonment for conspiracy to smuggle marijuana and tax evasion in 1986.
Le Mans 1979
In four participations from 1978 to 1982, Bill Whittington only crossed the finish line once in Le Mans, but he made it count. In four participations from 1978 to 1982, Bill Whittington only crossed the finish line once in Le Mans, but he made it count. Having qualified in third position, their #41 Porsche fielded by Kremer Racing slipped into the lead on Saturday evening, after troubles experienced by the Porsche 936 prototypes (Jacky Ickx/Brian Redman and Hurley Haywood/Bob Wollek) and Ford M10s (Derek Bell, David Hobbs, Jean-Pierre Jaussaud and Vern Schuppan). The overnight rain, an hour parked on the side of the Mulsanne Straight after the injector belt failed, and pressure applied by pursuers Dick Barbour/Paul Newman/Rolf Stommelen at the end of the race were unable to derail victory for Bill and Don Whittington and Klaus Ludwig, earning Porsche its fifth win at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Both brothers paid Kremer a sum of $20.000 to grab a seat in the Kremer Porsche 935 next to Klaus Ludwig. They were not amused when they heard that Ludwig would start the race. So they asked what it would take for them to start the race. Kremer replied they could buy the car, for $200.000, in disbelief this would ever happen. But the Whittingtons replied Kremer could go to the trailer and take $200.000 out of the duffel bag, and not a penny more. And so the Whittingtons bought the car and started the race.
That same year the Whittingtons bought Road Atlanta race track. Rumors say the only reason they bought the track, was the long straights that allowed drug smuggling airplanes to land on the track. After returning home from Le Mans they diversified into IndyCar and NASCAR racing. Both brothers raced in five Indianapolis 500’s, with Don managing best finish of sixth, with Bill in 14th. Don made 10 NASCAR starts, while Bill only made two, with both finishing with lackluster results.
In 1984, the brothers linked up with mildly successful driver Randy Lanier to form Blue Thunder Racing — an IMSA team that appeared seemingly out of thin air in the eyes of their competition. Blue Thunder won race after race at places like Watkins Glen, Laguna Seca, and more, and earned enough points to be the IMSA champions for the same year, earning the top sports car racing title in the country.
Bill Whittington was killed when a plane he was piloting crashed in the Arizona desert
The story of the Whittington Brothers
Pictures courtesy unknown unless otherwise mentioned
